I was having a conversation about the impending inauguration (who isn't, right?) and the question came up, "Just how long do you think that Obama will have for his onboarding honeymoon period?" Typically, new US presidents are given the 100-day grace time to get up-to-speed on the pressing issues, make staffing appointments, get briefed on national security and figure out what needs attention and its priority.
Well, things aren't typical these days, as we all know. President-elect Obama has appropriately been managing expectations since he won the election, but as he continues to learn the current state of our country's affairs, he could still be suprised.
How much time will the American people give him to deliver some sort of results? How will his team come together and work toward common goals? What circumstances will present themselves that will test his resolve and/or his decision-making ability?
These are all yet to be seen, but one thing is pretty clear--Obama's first 100 days probably started on November 5, 2208, not January 21, 2009.
What about your organization? How long is a new leader "new"? How long is he or she given to listen and learn before being expected to deliver? And probably more, importantly, how is the organization supporting those individuals during this time?
No one will understand this better than our new president--how important that support can be. Let's all hope that his support is in place and he has the tools to make the right decisions at the right time for our country.
The paradox of insular language
7 months ago
Posts
